Yogyakarta was chosen to host the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2023: “ASEAN: A Journey to Wonderful Destinations”. It is because of the strategic location of Yogyakarta that is surrounded by many attractive tourist destinations with abundance of nature and culture.

Besides, it is no doubt about the beauty of tourist destinations in Yogyakarta which offer unparalleled beauty of natural scenery, as well as its local culture that is still preserved today.

Here are 10 tourist destinations of Yogyakarta that can be visited around the 2023 ATF venue:

Keraton Yogyakarta

Keraton Yogyakarta (Kraton) or the Palace of Yogyakarta is a must visit destination when Sobat Parekraf come to Yogyakarta. Located in Kraton District, Yogyakarta City, this historical and cultural tourist destination was founded by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono I in 1755.

Not only see the magnificent architecture of the building, there are many things that we can do at Keraton Yogyakarta. The interesting highlights inside The Kraton are The Hamengku Buwono IX museum, painting museum, regalia museum, and royal carriage museum that have interesting historical value.

Taman Sari

One of the historical tourist destinations in Yogyakarta which is famous for its beautiful buildings. In the past, this tourist spot surrounded by gardens and bathing pools was a recreation and resting place for Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, his consort, children and relatives.

Because the location is not far from the Yogyakarta Palace, we can visit Taman Sari by foot. If you are too tired, you can take a pedicab or horse cart which are widely available around it.

Borobudur Temple

Indeed, this tourist destination is not in Yogyakarta, but in Magelang Regency, Central Java. However, as one of the Super Priority Destinations, Borobudur Temple is also one of the tourist destinations which is quite close to the 2023 ATF venue in Yogyakarta.

In addition to see thousands of reliefs and hundreds of Buddha statues, we also have a chance to enjoy delicious local culinary delights around Borobudur Temple. One of them is "mangut beong", a dish made of endemic "beong" fish (Mystus nemurus) cooked with hot and spicy coconut milk.

Prambanan Temple

A tourist destination that is no less interesting to visit is Prambanan Temple. The temple is also one of the side event locations in the 2023 ATF. It is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia built in the middle of the 9th century. Here, we can see the beauty of the reliefs telling the story of Ramayana, as well as enjoy the performance of Ramayana ballet with the accompaniment of beautiful Javanese traditional music.

Kotagede

As one of the historical sites in Yogyakarta, Kotagede has many suchs historical relics as kings' tomb, grand mosque and former palace fortress. Kotagede is also known as the center of creative industry such as silver handicrafts. These famous and lovely handicrafts made by local craftsmen are exported abroad.

Illustration: Malioboro is a tourist icon of Yogyakarta City. (Photo: Shutterstock/Jon Chica)

Malioboro

As a tourist icon of Yogyakarta City, Malioboro area is a must-visit destination during the 2023 ATF. Strolling around its clean pedestrian pathway, we can find many interesting things throughout the area.

Do not miss to try various street culinary delights, to take pictures at several iconic photo spots and, of course, to shop Yogyakarta-style souvenirs. At Beringharjo traditional market located in the area we can buy batik and antique crafts, and we can relax at an area close to Beringharjo called Titik Nol Kilometer.

Sonobudoyo Museum

Still in the Malioboro area, Sonobudoyo Museum founded in 1919 is also a must-visit place. It has a collection of around 43,263 historical objects such as prehistoric relics, wayang (shadow puppet), batik fabric and batik-making equipments, gamelan (Javanese traditional music equipments), and many other traditional Javanese equipments.

Mt Merapi

Mt Merapi is also one of the side event locations of the 2023 ATF. We don't have to climb the volcano, but we can take a jeep tour to trace the paths covered with volcanic ash and lava due to the past eruption of the mountain.

In addition, we can also visit such tourist destinations around Mt Merapi as Museum Gunung Merapi (Mt Merapi Museum), and the so-called Lost World Castle where we can enjoy the natural beauty of the slopes of Mt Merapi.

Ullen Sentalu Museum

Still in the Mt Merapi area, there is the Ullen Sentalu Museum. Located in Pakem District, Sleman Regency, the museum has the European Gothic architectural style and has the collections of Mataram Kingdom's cultural heritage.

Not only seeing historical collections, we can learn about the life of the nobility during the Surakarta Sunanate, Yogyakarta Sultanate, Mangkunegaran and Pakualaman Duchies.

HeHa Ocean View

It is a contemporary and popular tourist destination located in Gunungkidul Regency, offering beautiful views of the southern sea from the top of the cliff. This place is always full of visitors.

HeHa Ocean View provides 11 photo spots for visitors to take pictures, and a pool-side area and garden to unwind and enjoy the live music as well.

Cover: Keraton Yogyakarta is a must-visit historical and cultural tourist destination during the 2023 ATF (Photo: Shutterstock/aditya_frzhm)